Glacier to Flathead

August 15 – 25, 2021

Our route on US 2 from Athol, Idaho to our destination in Big Sky Country took us northeast to Sandpoint, on to Bonners Ferry, then southeast and finally east into Kalispell, Montana.

Kalispell

The center of the Flathead Valley is Kalispell, a relaxing Western getaway tucked between the splendorous mountains of Glacier National Park and the crystal-clear waters of Flathead Lake. Kalispell’s charming downtown shopping district, craft breweries and distilleries, dozens of restaurants with a dash of Montana flavor, and outdoor recreation activities for families of all ages make it the perfect base camp for anyone traveling to take in a day, a week or even more in the wilds of Northwest Montana. 

discoverkalispell

As we planned our trip, making reservations anywhere near Glacier National Park proved to be difficult. After a lot of research we found a new RV park with space just outside of Kalispell called Montana Basecamp. A gentleman met us when we arrived and directed us to our site – #44 – on the sunset side. All sites were paved, back-in sites with a picnic table and concrete fire pit. Although there were no other amenities, the campground provided free firewood and free laundry. Behind us was a big open field.

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Going-to-the-Sun Road

We definitely wanted to visit Glacier National Park and experience the Going-to-the-Sun Road while we were in the area.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road was completed in 1932 and is a spectacular 50 mile, paved two-lane highway that bisects the park east and west. It spans the width of Glacier National Park, crossing the Continental Divide at 6,646-foot-high Logan Pass. It passes through almost every type of terrain in the park, from large glacial lakes and cedar forests in the lower valleys to windswept alpine tundra atop the pass. Scenic viewpoints and pullouts line the road, so motorists can stop for extended views and photo opportunities. The road is well worth traveling in either direction, as the view from one side of the road is much different than from the other. In 1983 Going-To-The-Sun Road was included in the National Register of Historic Places and in 1985 was made a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

visitmt.com

Since we were a bit unsure about driving our big truck on the road, we had arranged (quite some time ago) to take one of the Red Bus Tours. As luck would have it, after months of encountering not a drop of rain, the day of our tour dawned gray and threatening. We left the campground around 8 a.m. for the hour long drive to the Apgar Visitor Center where we met our “jammer” driver (named for the sound their original standard transmissions made as drivers “jammed” the gears over mountain passes) and boarded our Red Bus for the 4 hour Western Alpine Tour.

The famous Red Buses serve as an ideal way to see and learn more about Glacier National Park. In fact, the vintage 1930s buses are part of the human history and heritage of the park. As much of the park’s scenery is vertically oriented, the roll-back tops are perfect for providing full views of the stunning mountains, and the area’s signature Big Sky. The guides are seasoned park veterans, who are here because they love the park and enjoy sharing the park with visitors.

The fleet of 33 buses in Glacier is widely considered to be the oldest touring fleet of vehicles anywhere in the world, so due to the historic nature of the Red Buses, seats are not designed to the same standards as today’s buses. The red buses seat 17 people, with 4 across on bench seating and 1 front passenger seat. These are snug quarters with limited space. The Red Bus tours tend to sell out on a daily basis, so please don’t expect room to stretch out.

red bus tours

Just as our bus picked up the last set of passengers, the rain started and our driver was forced to close the top – no vertical views for us. Our tour set off hugging the bank of Lake McDonald. At 10 miles long and 500 feet deep, Lake McDonald is the largest lake in the park. Our first stop was at the Swiss chalet-type three story Lake McDonald Lodge where we given some time to explore. The Lodge was built in 1913 and offers 82 rustic guest rooms split between the main lodge, a row of cabins, Snyder Hall and Cobb House.

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The tour continued climbing up to the Weeping Wall which afforded views of the valley, surrounding peaks, and the road. Our driver told us that visibility this day was better than it had been during the prior 3 weeks – some of the peaks were actually visible.

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We continued ascending until we reached our highest point at Logan Pass (6,646 ft) on the continental divide. There we made a brief stop at the Visitor Center.

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Logan Pass was as far east as this tour went so we turned around and began the descent. On the way down we made a brief stop at McDonald Falls to take in the beautiful green, red, and blue colored rocks.

The color of the rocks is determined by the presence or absence of iron. The bright red rocks found along the Grinnel Glacier trail were deposited in a shallow ocean environment where the iron was oxidized by the tidal exposure to the air. Rocks with this coloration often have old ripple marks or ancient mud crack lines. 

The rich green-colored rocks were formed in deeper water than the red rocks. Although these rocks contain the same quantities of iron-bearing minerals, they did not have the same exposure to oxygen and the amount of oxidization was limited.

Amusing Planet

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We concluded the tour safely back at the Apgar Visitor Center where we bid our “jammer” driver goodbye. Although we enjoyed the tour, somehow we were not overly impressed with the scenery. Perhaps our expectations were too high or it was just the weather. We did have an entry pass for the Going-to-the-Sun Road that was good for 7 days just in case we decided to drive it ourselves later.

After exiting the park, we went in search of a late lunch. We found a great spot in Kalispell – Desoto Bar and Grill. It was 3 o’clock in the afternoon when we walked in and the place was packed. The owner directed us to a couple of seats at the bar where we could watch the cooks at work. The food was awesome!!

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From West to East

A couple of days later we decided to drive around the southern end of Glacier National Park from West Glacier to East Glacier along US 2. We stopped in Essex at the Izaak Walton Inn to look around.

Essex, Montana is a small railroad town located 60 miles east of Kalispell Montana, and bordering Glacier National Park and the Great Bear Wilderness Area. But at one time, Glacier National Park was supposed to have a south entrance in Essex.

The Addison Miller Company banked on that when they contracted with the Great Northern Railroad to build and operate a hotel and lunchroom on railroad land. However, World War II threw a kink in plans and soon Essex went from future tourism hotspot to a trainyard in a spectacular location.

When completed, the Izaak Walton Inn boasted 29 rooms, ten bathrooms, a spacious lobby, dining room, kitchen with a two-ton cook stove, drying room, store room, and general store. It took twelve carpenters three months to complete.

Through the years, the Inn has remodeled railcars, cabooses, a diesel locomotive, and a schoolhouse to add to its unique accommodations. Though the Izaak Walton Inn has modernized with the times, it maintains its distinctive historic heritage.

izaakwaltoninn.com

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Our next stop along this southern boundary was at Goat Lick Overlook – no goats today though.

Located along U.S. Highway 2, approximately two miles southeast of the Walton Ranger Station, is an exposed riverbank where mountain goats and other animals come to lick the mineral-laden cliffs. From the parking area, a short paved path leads to an observation stand overlooking the waters of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. The river’s current has cut deeply into the easily eroded soil in this area, creating steep drop-offs and exposing a mass of gray clay containing minerals sought after by mountain goats and other animals. There are several other natural mineral licks in the park, but probably none that receive as much use by goats as this one. 

visitmt.com

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We continued our drive to East Glacier where we anticipated having lunch at Serrano’s Mexican Restaurant. We were told that eating there should be on our bucket list. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that this restaurant was only open in the evenings. Since none of the other restaurants in East Glacier appealed to us, we broke out some snacks and retraced our route back to Kalispell. There we picked up a pizza at Moose’s Saloon and headed back to the RV.

Lone Pine State Park

The next day we decided to stay nearby and investigate Lone Pine State Park. Our drive to the park took us by Foys Lake, the closest lake to Kalispell. The lake is known for its turquoise color due to light reflecting off the sandy white bottom.

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Once in the park, we completed a 2 mile hike with stops at the three overlooks for views of Flathead Valley, Kalispell, and (in the distance) Glacier National Park.

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Whitefish

The next day we drove north into Whitefish to explore the town and have an Italian dinner (something we had been craving) at Ciao Mambo.

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Flathead Lake

Later in the week we decided to head south and enjoy the scenic drive along the western side of Flathead Lake.

Thousands of years ago, the glaciers that carved the stunning landscapes of Glacier National Park pushed their way down into the modern-day Flathead Valley and sculpted Flathead Lake. The largest natural freshwater lake in the West, Flathead Lake sits in northwest Montana and is a sprawling blue jewel at the base of the Swan and Mission mountain ranges. Encompassing nearly 200 square miles, the lake has 185 miles of shoreline and a depth of 370 feet.

discoverkalispell.com

We stopped at West Shore State Park to hike one of the trails and enjoy the view on this sunny day.

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Leaving the park, we continued south into the town of Polson at the southern end of the lake. I knew there was a highly rated RV park (Polson Motorcoach and RV Resort) in Polson so we had to investigate. Unfortunately for us it’s Class-A only. For fun we drove through a couple of other RV parks in case we decide to stay in Polson sometime in the future.

For lunch we stopped at Betty’s Diner (how could we resist an establishment with that name) and enjoyed delicious sandwiches and fries before returning to Kalispell.

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It’s all south and east from here

After 10 days here, it’s time for us to leave this area of Montana (our most northerly spot of the trip). You may be wondering why we didn’t spend more time in Glacier National Park. We actually considered several options for visiting or revisiting portions of the park but all involved considerable driving times. (The closest entry point was an hour away at Apgar). Next time we’re in the area we’ll make earlier reservations and stay closer to the park.

In the meantime, there’s more of Montana to experience.